1.
Meet Mark Ridder - AHA Heart Valve Ambassador
Read about Mark's journey with heart valve disease, which began in high school, when a heart murmur was detected in a routine physical exam. Later in life he was diagnosed with aortic valve stenosis, which ultimately turned severe enough to require valve replacement surgery.

3.
Roles of Your Four Heart Valves
To better understand your valve condition, it helps to know the role each heart valve plays in providing healthy blood circulation.

4.
Meet Christine Rekash - AHA Heart Valve Ambassador
Christine Rekash thought she was prepared for open-heart surgery to repair a failing mitral valve, but several complications following her procedure made her realize that she had to take one step at a time. She now works to raise awareness about heart health and offer support to other patients facing heart valve disorders as part of the American Heart Association?s Heart Valve Ambassador program.

6.
About Heart Valves
New to managing your heart valve condition? The American Heart Association encourages you to learn about how your heart works and how each of the valves function. When you understand the specifics of what your doctor or healthcare team is trying to evaluate and accomplish through treatment, you?ll be better equipped to help great decisions.

7.
Heart Valve Diagnosis Criteria
As you prepare for heart valve testing for a complete diagnosis, there are several criteria used to determine your particular needs.

Nationwide, we invest over $132 million a year ($3.2 billion since 1949) in heart and stroke research that has led to recent breakthroughs such as clot-busting drugs and drug-eluting stents. Healthcare providers learn about medical advances and new treatment guidelines though our journals, conferences and online courses.